1. Background Field
Embodiments of the subject matter described herein are related generally to pose detection and tracking, and more particularly using a geometric shape as a reference for pose detection and tracking.
2. Relevant Background
Detecting and tracking a pose (translation and orientation) of a camera with respect to an imaged environment is useful in applications such as Augmented Reality (AR). In an AR type application, the displayed images of the real world are augmented by rendering virtual objects, i.e., computer generated objects, over the displayed images. In order to tightly register the virtual augmentation to the real-world environment in the displayed images, a tracking system needs to accurately estimate the camera's pose with respect to the environment and track the pose as the camera is moved with respect to the environment.
Vision based tracking systems for augmented reality typically use a known reference in the real-world environment, which may be, e.g., a 3D model of the environment, artificial markers placed in the environment, or a front view of a planar surface in the environment. With the use of a known reference, the pose of the camera with respect to a reference can be determined and tracked using captured images, e.g., frames of video, that include the reference. However, it is not always convenient or possible to obtain the reference before performing AR or other such applications. The dependency on a prior knowledge of a reference in the environment is a limitation in the usage of augmented reality type applications. Thus, it is desirable to generate a reference from an image of an environment on the fly.